Dagon
by Boyd Pearson
| Dagon, the name means "corn", is an
ancient Mesopotamian vegetation god, father of Baal in
his father's attributes. He is the god of crop fertility and the inventor
of the plough. He passed this knowledge to mankind to let them better till
the soil and produce food. Dagon's temples were in Philistine for about
2000 years, although Baal took over in most parts of the Middle East.
Dagon is one of the really old gods. The Ras Shamra texts describe Dagon
as coeval with El, who is the most ancient and senior of all the Semitic
gods. Dagon's temple at Ashdod still existed right up until the time of
the Hasmoneans [who ruled parts of Palestine in Jesus' days]. Dagon was
portrayed half man and half fish.
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